Fabulous Ones v. US Express

 

I liked that they started slow and looked like they were going to do a "feeling each other out" segment and then went into a rope running spot with Windham stomping Lane off a rope running monkey flip attempt. US Express frustrate the Fabs by controlling them with double teams on their side of the ring and the Fabs end up leaving the ring to kill the momentum. Another fun rope running spot with Keirn trying to leapfrog Barry and Barry just hits him with a punch. Keirn is reeling after a double dropkick but ends up avoiding a Rotondo corner charge. Lane hits some questionable looking kicks and Keirn busts out some staples of heeling. Ref is HORRIBLY out of position on an over the top bump that he is not supposed to see but happens right in front of him. Rotonda hot tag is questionable here but I don't give a fuck by that point as I was dying to get Windham in the ring. Windham's FIP was shorter than Rotunda's but a lot more interesting. Keirn tripping Rotunda on his airplane spin spot was really fucking awesome and almost makes me want to go to bat for this match but then I remember that this was pretty heatless and the best worker in the match got by far the last amount of time in the ring.

 

Little Mr. T/Cowboy Lang v. Lord Littlebrook/Little Tokyo

 

Tokyo is really great early on bitching with the ref, making these pained facial expressions, throwing body shots, et. Lord Littlebrook throws a really sweet looking knee lift. Little Mr. T comes in and does some ridiculous looking "power" spots. The Cowboy Lang/Little Tokyo atomic drop spot was really awesome. Littlebrook ends up getting worked over by his partner on accident. This has a GREAT finish as Cowboy Lang hooks Littlebrook with a cradle on a drop down in the most seemless way I've ever seen. This was not as good as the other midget tag I nominated but man alive was that finish awesome.

 

Super Ninja/Mr. Saito/Larry Zbyzsko v. Greg Gagne/Nick Bockwinkel/Ray Stevens

 

JIP. This was basically just the finishing run.

 

Nick Bockwinkel v. Curt Hennig

 

The full version of a nominated match.

 

Buck Zumhoffe/Earthquake Ferris v. Rick Gantner/Mike Tolos

 

Hey look it's Bull Pain! Cool it is Bull Pain mocking Earthquake Ferris for being fat while Ferris dances a jig! Gantner is screaming about his arm being hurt but then gets free and tags out. Bull Pain jobs after the Ferris Wheel. Well that was amusing at least.

 

Leon White v. Earthquake Ferris

 

Man balding Vader kind of looks like a high school math teacher. White cartwheels over a Ferris drop down and hits a pretty low dropkick. They do the shoulderblock spots and it ends in a double knockdown. Ferris is just comically shitty at times as he just leans forward onto White at one point. Then White hits a sunset flip and wins even though both of Ferris shoulders were up. Jesus.

 

Boris Zhukov v. Brad Rheingans

 

Zhukov goes to work on Rheingans arm. Rheingans ends up on the floor and takes a pretty sick looking body slam on the concrete. Rheingans bumps around some more and Zhukov goes for a corner charge but hits the steel and does one of the more absurd oversells ever as he is running around like a goof holding his arm. Rheingans goes for a dropkick but Zhukov holds the ropes. Zhukov decides to go after Rheingans leg and starts punching him in the knee joint. Boris starts biting at Brad's knee and then awkwardly puts on a figure-four. Zhukov goes for a diving knee but misses. Brad fires up and goes to work on Zhukov's leg. Rheingans has Boris tied up and is headbutting his knee in the corner. He ends up geting DQ'ed. I liked parts of this but overall it felt flat.

 

Sgt. Slaughter v. Boris Zhukov

 

Boris tries to ambush Sarge at the bell but Sarge is a product of Paris Island and is not going to fall prey to that shit. He is raking the eyes of Boris and has Boris bumping all over the place. Sarge brings a flag into the ring and taunts Zhukov like a matador, then beats him down with big shots while holding the flag before kissing it and tossing it back to the crowd. Awesome. Slaughter ends up taking his AWESOME corner bump and they are at Commiskey so Sarge ends up bumping an insanely far distance and then gets slammed on the ground. Sarge takes a really nice whiplash bump on a hot shot and Sarge is just selling his ass off. Sarge gets slammed out to the floor and is rolling around, knocking over Nelson's announce table. Zhukov goes for a piledriver on the floor but Sarge back body drops out. Boris tries to go to the top but Sarge slams him off the top. Sarge goes on a run and signals for his clothesline but Zhukov pulls the ref in front of him. Boris loads up his elbow pad and Sarge ends up charging in and smacking straight into it. Sarge is bleeding something fierce and Zhukhov is biting it. He tosses Slaughter into the corner and Slaughter takes his face to the post bump. The ref finally rings the bell and Sarge hulks up as Boris retreats. I thought Sarge was really great in this and this was good stuff, with a better finish borderline great.

 

Ray Stevens/Nick Bockwinkel v. Larry Zbyzsko/Super Ninja

 

I loved the opening with Stevens looking spry and Larry trying to bail early with Bock holding him still from the apron for a cheap shot from Stevens. Larry bails right after and Nick tags in but Larry tags out right away. Bock is always good for a fun test of strength spot and they run a good one here with the crowd really into it and Bock getting in a cheap shot to the gut when the ref was distracted by Stevens leading to a Larry freakout on the apron. Stevens busts out a ropewalk side headlock takeover which was cool. Larry and Nick get in there and Nick lights out Larry, who he drags to his corner. Fun stuff as the faces work heel leverage/control spots while Larry screams in pain and a guy in a Ninja suit screams at the ref. Seriously this segment is tons of fun as Larry is great selling the beating and Stevens and Bock appear to be having the time of their lives as they are getting huge face pops for chokeholds and ref distraction spots. Larry finally gets Bock up against the rops and hits a nice spin kick off a break tagging out. Ninja gets some licks in and now it is Larry's turn to pay the faces back as he chokes Bock on the floor, hits a nasty knee from the apron, et. Cool hope spot ends with Bock missing a dropkick. Bock makes the tag after turning Ninja's mask so that he can't see. All hell breaks loose with everyone spilling to the floor. Stevens body slams Ninja on the floor while Bock chokes Larry. The ref rings the bell. This was great fun.

Already seen the first match.

 

Cowboy Lang & Little Mr. T vs. Little Tokyo & Lord Littlebrook (5/1/86)

 

This was a fine midgets match but the other one from Wrestlerock was better although the finish was cool.

 

Then we get clips of Bock/Gagne/Stevens vs. Saito/Ninja/Larry.

 

AWA World Heavyweight Title: Nick Bockwinkel © vs. Curt Hennig (3/7/87)

 

This is the big Vegas rematch of their 60:00 draw from over 3 months earlier. Both men start out more aggressive here especially Bock because he knows that Curt can take him the distance or even beat him. Hennig is on point here really taking it to Bock trying to put him away early while Bock is the veteran champ who lets Hennig tire himself by throwing out offense so he can take control once he is tired. Bock really works a headscissors until Hennig breaks free and immediately works over Bock's left leg setting up a modified Indian Death Lock which was one of Bock's pet holds. Bock would break free though and threw Hennig to the floor where he would pound on him and now this is beginning to turn into a war of atrition with both men teeing off on each other. Bock locks on a sleeper and Curt uses his momentum to take both men over the top rope for the DQ finish as he gave the match to Bock because Curt intentionally brought him over. Curt is highly angry at this and the story is being told that for whatever reason he just can't beat Bock the right way. Curt attacks Bock after the match and walks around with the belt before throwing it on Bock. Crappy finish but the story is being told for the future and the match was awesome. Easy nomination.

 

Earthquake Ferris & "Rock n Roll" Buck Zumhofe vs. Rick Gantner & Tony Leone (3/7/87)

 

The future Bull Pain is the only thing decent about this and he looks a lot like a old Sheamus here.

 

"Bull Power" Leon White vs. Earthquake Ferris (5/1/86)

 

Leon is a rookie here and he shows great potential here but damn Ferris sucked.

 

Boris Zuhkov vs. Brad Rheingans (5/1/86)

 

I liked Brad but Boris wasn't very motivated here and to add the shitty finish here this didn't do anything for me.

 

Next is the Sarge/Boris match from Super Clash I which I've seen.

 

Nick Bockwinkel & Ray "The Crippler" Stevens vs. Super Ninja & "Living Legend" Larry Zbyszko (2/21/87)

 

Stevens is old and out of shape but he is still Ray Stevens and he still can work especially on offense and the heels did a good job of making him look credible. Bock was pretty fun as well and it was great watching the old masters working their sneaky heel double-team work as faces and the crowd eating it up. Zbyszko was really good as the guy taking all the punishment here as he sells good and he yells at times wanting the ref to help him. This is great watching the psychology being reversed here as Larry is basically working FIP but is despised while the old masters are working the heel control section and are adored. Ninja would come in and his offense wasn't inspiring although Larry made up for it with his choking with a rope. Eventually this would break down into a wild 4-way brawl on the floor with the referee calling for the bell as he has lost control. This was a blast to watch and this moves forward easily.